A daily glass of pomegranate juice showed potential
for slowing the growth of prostate cancer in a small
study but more evidence is needed before doctors recommend
it, U.S. scientists said.
A study funded by a juice maker found men who drank
the beverage had a longer time until doubling of their
blood levels of PSA -- a protein that indicates the
presence of prostate cancer. Patients with short doubling
times are more likely to die from the cancer.
In the study, the time until PSA doubling after treatment
extended to 54 months on average when the men started
drinking eight ounces of pomegranate juice a day.
Before drinking the juice, PSA doubled in an average
of 15 months.
"That's a very big difference. ... It's an indicator
of how quickly the cancer is growing," said Dr. Allan
Pantuck, a urologist at UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center
and the study's lead author.
Each of the 50 men who took part had radiation, surgery
or other treatment for prostate cancer before enrolling
in the study. No major side effects were reported
from drinking the juice.
"It's too early to tell people with prostate cancer
they should drink pomegranate juice" because the evidence
is preliminary, Pantuck said in an interview.
A larger study is under way to try to confirm the
findings, with results expected in two years, he said.
While he does not expect pomegranate juice to cure
prostate cancer, Pantuck said it could delay or prevent
the need for other therapies with harsh side effects
including hot flashes, fatigue, depression and impotence.
Pomegranate juice "is a very non-toxic treatment
that, if it really did have that effect on doubling
time, could prevent many people from going on to metastatic
disease and hopefully from dying of prostate cancer,"
he said.
The research team said substances known as polyphenols
or other ingredients in the fruit juice may be able
to fight prostate cancer, but exactly how is unclear.
The benefits probably come from a combination of ingredients,
they said.
The findings were published in the peer-reviewed
journal Clinical Cancer Research and funded by a trust
established by the owners of Pom Wonderful, a brand
of pomegranate juice. Pom Wonderful supplied the juice
used in the study.
